


smoke like the clouds.

by yae



Category: Final Fantasy XIV
Genre: Brotherly Bonding, Brotherly Love, Final Fantasy XIV: Heavensward Spoilers, Gen, Other, Smoking, Spoilers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-26
Updated: 2019-08-26
Packaged: 2020-09-27 00:43:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,464
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20398864
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/yae/pseuds/yae
Summary: estinien finds kiryuu once more, leading to a discussion on the events of the past and them now.





	smoke like the clouds.

_Haa..._

Kiryuu blew the smoke he had just inhaled out his mouth slowly. He then deeply breathed in through his nose, opening his eyes and looking up to see just the man he was expecting.

“I knew it would be you, Estinien. Who else would so dramatically land atop the light I happen to be leaning against? With perfect form and balance, to boot...”

“Save your praises, warrior of light.”

“You know not to call me that.”

“What, you are allowed to poke fun but I am not?”

Kiryuu tilted his head up fully once he had taken another drag, shooting the smoke up at Estinien. Despite doing so, a light smirk played on his face.

“So? What are you here for, my friend?”

Estinien jumped down from the lamppost, landing next to Kiryuu before stabbing his lance into the ground and leaning against it.

“...To talk.”

“Talk?”

“Ishgard... has been in my thoughts as of late. Everything that happened before my departure...”

“You want to reminisce?”

“Far from it. Discuss, really.”

“I see...”

There was silence between the two of them for several moments. When both of you cared little to show much emotion or make conversation, it made interacting all the bit harder. Estinien looked up to the cloudy sky with a morose sigh.

“When we met Iceheart... Ysayle. When we met her...” He looked back down. “Truly, I wholly believed her insane. It went against everything. Likewise, she thought me a barbarian with a thirst for dragon’s blood... Thinking on it now, we were both somewhat correct.”

“How would that be?”

“When Hraesvelgr shattered her illusion of Shiva and the cause she had been fighting for, living a delusion... For me, bathing my armor in Nidhogg’s blood then parading around without care...”

“She was not insane, though. It was a truth that she lived, just as you. Even when Hraesvelgr chastised her, she made her mind up on a new cause. Perhaps you are still baffled by her and her decisions...”

“...Perhaps.” Estinien closed his eyes and lowered his voice ever so quietly. “She could have... should have lived much longer. In life and death. She should not have perished then... and even in her death, no one save for the heretics know her name. Her real name. They know not her role, what she did for the lot of us, for peace.” He gripped his lance tightly, gritting his teeth.

“It was you who left those flowers there at the end of Azys La, wasn’t it...” Kiryuu murmured.

Estinien did not answer. He only heaved a sigh. Kiryuu looked down to his feet, playing idly with his pipe.

“How you hated her when we first made our merry band... You two were hounds at each other’s throats. It is alright to mourn, Estinien...”

“No. I’ve mourned enough already for one lifetime.” He shook his head, loosening the tension in his body. “There is just much, much wrong with what happened in the past. So much that my mind still lingers on...

When did Nidhogg’s rage overtake him, I wonder. When did mine... Only for the two of us to become one for a moment and find our peace from each other. I still remember... how he felt upon his defeat. You and Alphinaud removing the eyes from me... was like freeing the chains of hate that bound Nidhogg.”

“He is not fully gone, though, no? The line of Azure Dragoons was built on Nidhogg, among other things. Surely men and women of the title can still feel him, even just slightly, but... You must be able to feel him more due to joining together, what you said yourself. I know not your heart, Estinien... I am merely making idle chatter to combat yours.”

“I know and... To be frank, I appreciate it. It feels good to finally let my thoughts be judged by someone other than myself.”

“I am sure you have had a rampant, never resting mind since the day you woke up after what happened...”

“Aye. That would be correct. Tell me, Kiryuu, of Nidhogg and Ysayle... what say you about them?”

“I can only speak of what I have seen. Though perhaps... Nidhogg and Ysayle were similar. Just a little...”

Estinien’s head snapped upward, staring at Kiryuu in shock. Comparing the two to each other and saying they were similar... He couldn’t see it, right away at least.

“Nidhogg, fueled by his anger to Ishgard and menkind. Divided from his kin on what was right or wrong.

Ysayle, also fueled by her anger to Ishgard and menkind, and also divided from her kin on what was right or wrong. Do you see?”

Estinien’s mouth was agape. He promptly shut it before looking away again, taking a moment to think. Ysayle and Nidhogg were vastly different in various ways. Yet... break them down to some simple ideas and they were surprisingly similar, indeed.

“...and in the end, both came to know peace in death. Yes, I do see...”

“Precisely... A sad ending for both of them, in our eyes. For them, however... it was their happiest moment. Ysayle and Nidhogg died so that we may live, yet both their deaths vastly different.”

“You are right... There is so much more even... Both involved with Hraesvelgr, both having their own band of vengeful and angered followers... One of fire, the other of ice.”

Kiryuu chuckled. “Now you’re really seeing. I wonder if Ysayle would chastise us for comparing her to our former enemy...”

“Come now, with how much she loved the dravanians, she would see it as a compliment.”

Kiryuu’s small chuckle then became a hearty laugh which he hid behind his hand.

“I thought you had come to terms with yours and Ysayle’s differences! To think just a moment ago you were so forlorn...”

“I was not forlorn. Merely thoughtful.” There was a light blush hinting on Estinien’s cheeks and he huffed.

Another silence as the two calmed, until Kiryuu broke it.

“...What of Hraesvelgr?”

“I... At the time, I really did think it useless. I even felt the desire to chalk it up in Ysayle’s face, but... I knew how she felt. Moreso when we all learned the truth... I had sympathy for her, I believe.”

“I asked you about Nidhogg’s brother, not Ysayle... but I suppose that’s why you discouraged us from interacting with her. She needed her time...”

“Yes... well. Hraesvelgr... I do not think much, really. Back then, I also truly believed he would grow angry enough to attack. Each second was I prepared to unsheathe my lance, yet he kept his peace, despite making it clear he could kill us easily. Hmm... perhaps Ysayle and Alphinaud easily, that is.”

“There you are again, undermining Ysayle. Not just that but Alphinaud, too.”

“I jest.” His expression hadn’t changed at all. “I think... we were all prepared for the worst. That none of us expected him to take up arms for us. Our words had the same weight as a single feather, to him. Yet we still went... on the basis of hope.”

“The one thing that often drives so many, not just mankind. Even Nidhogg and his followers had the hope they would succeed.”

“You’re right again... Hraesvelgr also had hope for the lot of you.”

Kiryuu tilted his head in a questioning manner to Estinien.

“You think Ser Lord Commander could possibly keep quiet about everything that happened while I was under the weather...? Every detail I had the unpleasure of missing was shared.”

“Ha. I see... I can believe Aymeric spared no small detail, for quite a few reasons.”

Estinien hummed lightly, a light smile tugging at his lips. He huffed with amusement. It was then that he pulled up his lance, gripping it in hand and straightening himself.

“Leaving so soon?”

The dragoon shook his head, motioning to the sky with his lance.

“I have stayed long enough. It is not so soon... the clouds are finally parting. Thanks... for speaking with me.”

Kiryuu looked up upon his notion, noticing the sun’s rays sifting through the separating clouds. It had been some time since he had taken a drag and his pipe had long since gone out. It really had been a while. He looked back to Estinien only to find the man absent, already gone and back onto whatever it was former Azure Dragoons did. Kiryuu smiled gently, standing straight and preparing to leave himself. He took just another moment to look out at the sky.

“Perhaps we can continue our conversation another time. I will look forward to it. ‘Til we meet again, then, Estinien...”

The man then began to walk away, turning his back on the same sky that Estinien had once soared through.

_Until we meet again._


End file.
